immediately apply to the harbour master for a berth, and shall not change such berth without his direction; and unless by the consent of the harbour master no more than two vessels shall be placed in one tier, and the master shall properly stow the anchors and take in the jib-booms, and all booms and boom irons shall be taken off the yards, and lower yards topped and topsail and other yards braced fore and aft, otherwise the ship will not be put into a berth, and shall effectually fend off the vessel when lying in a tier with other vessels, and shall slacken the ropes and do all other things necessary to the safety and convenience of the shipping in the river as the harbour master shall from time to time direct; and no part of the cargo of the said vessel shall be unloaded, or ballast taken in or discharged whilst the same is lying in the stream of the fairway of the river.

5.-To every anchor which shall be let go from any vessel for the purpose of stopping for a tide or mooring in any part of the river, there shall be bent a proper buoy and sufficient buoy rope.

6.-Vessels lying together in a tier in the river shall have bow lashings.

8. Every master of any vessel which shall be moored or navigated in any part of the river with a warp, hawser, rope or chain, or having a rope across for any purpose whatsoever, unless in the act of entering or departing from any canal or basin, shall slack the same down on the approach of any other vessel which shall be proceeding, dropping or sailing with or against the tide.

Navigation.

(a) Steamers under Weigh.

13. The master of every steam vessel navigating the river shall be and remain on one of the paddle boxes or on the bridge of such steam vessel, and shall cause a proper look-out to be kept from the bow of the said steam vessel during the whole of the time it is under weigh, and shall

remove or cause to be removed any person, other than the crew, who shall be on the bridge or paddle boxes of such steamer.

14.-Every steam vessel navigating the river shall be navigated with care and caution, and at a speed and in a manner which shall not endanger the safety of any other vessel, gas or other buoy, or moorings, or cause damage thereto, or to the banks of the river. Every steam vessel shall stop engines when passing any vessel employed in dredging, diving or removing a sunken vessel or other obstruction, or working at any gas or other buoys or moorings.

15.-Every steam vessel when approaching another vessel so as to involve risk of collision, shall slacken her speed, and shall stop and reverse if necessary.

16. No steam vessel navigating the river (other than river passenger steamers certified to carry passengers, or Government vessels in smooth water only) shall exceed the following speed of statute miles per hour over the ground:

Between Garrison Point and the Town Pier, Sheerness, the speed of 5 miles.

Between the Town Pier, Sheerness, and Upnor Castle the speed of 8 miles.

Above Upnor Castle the speed of 6 miles.

17. If the safety of any vessel, gas or other buoy or moorings is endangered, or damage is caused thereto, or to the banks of the river by a passing steam vessel, the onus shall lie upon the owner of such steam vessel to show that she was navigated in such a manner as directed by these Bye-laws.

18.-No vessel shall be navigated or lie in the river with its anchor or anchors a-cock-bill except while fishing such anchor or anchors, or during such time as may be absolutely necessary for getting such vessel under weigh or for bringing her to anchor.

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19.-No vessel shall be navigated or lie in the river with its anchor or anchors hanging by the cable perpendicularly from the hawse, unless the anchor shackle shall be awash, except during such time as shall be absolutely necessary for catting or fishing the said anchor or anchors, or during such time as may be absolutely necessary for getting such vessel under weigh.

See note to Thames Bye-law 11, post, page 275.

20. For the protection of the powder hulk moored in Cockham Reach, no steam vessel shall stoke up whilst passing between Short Reach and Upnor Reach, and every steam vessel shall pass on the north side only of the powder hulk, and shall give her as wide a berth as possible.

21.-Every steam vessel overtaking any other vessel shall keep out of the way of the overtaken vessel, which latter vessel shall keep her course.

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22. If a sailing vessel and a steam vessel are proceeding in such a direction as to involve risk of collision, the steam vessel shall keep out of the way of the sailing vessel.

If owing to causes beyond the control of those navigating the steam vessel it is unsafe or impracticable for the steam vessel to keep out of the way of the sailing vessel, she shall signify the same to the sailing vessel by four or more blasts of the steam whistle in rapid succession as mentioned in Bye-law 45; the sailing vessel shall then keep out of the way.

23. When two steam vessels proceeding in directly opposite directions are approaching one another so as to involve risk of collision, they shall pass one another port side to port side.

24.-Steam vessels navigating against the tide shall, before rounding any point of the river, case their engines and wait until any other vessels rounding the point with the tide have passed clear.

(b) Sailing Vessels Under Weigh.

25.-When two sailing vessels are approaching one another so as to involve risk of collision, one of them shall keep out of the way of the other as follows, viz. :—

(a) A vessel which is running free shall keep out of the way of a vessel which is close-hauled.

(b) A vessel which is close-hauled on the port tack shall keep out of the way of a vessel which is closehauled on the starboard tack.

(c) When both are running free with the wind on different sides, the vessel which has the wind on the port side shall keep out of the way of the other. (d) When both are running free with the wind on the same side, the vessel which is to windward shall

keep out of the way of the vessel which is to leeward.

(e) A vessel which has the wind aft shall keep out of the way of the other vessel.

26. If a sailing vessel and a steam vessel are proceeding in such a direction as to involve risk of collision, the steam vessel shall keep out of the way of the sailing vessel.

If owing to causes beyond the control of those navigating the steam vessel, it is unsafe or impracticable for the steam vessel to keep out of the way of the sailing vessel, she shall signify the same to the sailing vessel by four or more blasts of the steam whistle in rapid succession as mentioned in Bye-law 45; the sailing vessel shall then keep out of the

way.

27.-Every sailing vessel overtaking any other vessel shall keep out of the way of the overtaken vessel, which latter vessel shall keep her course.

28. No person shall navigate any barge or lighter on the river unless there shall be a free-board of at least one inch to be measured from the water's edge to the upper side of the covering board at the lowest point amidships. 29.-All sailing barges navigating the river shall, when

under weigh, have at least two competent men on board for the navigation and management thereof; and all boats, lighters, and other like craft navigating the river shall, when under weigh, have at least one competent man on board for the navigation and management thereof, and if above 60 tons register shall, when under weigh, have one man in addition on board to assist in the navigation and management of the same, with in all cases the following exceptions :-When being towed by a steam vessel, or when being moved to and fro between any vessels or places a distance not exceeding 200 yards. In case of non-compliance with this present Bye-law, the harbour master may take charge of and remove such craft to such place as to such harbour master may seem fit, and the amount of the charges and expenses of taking charge thereof and of such removal, shall be recoverable from the owner or owners, or master thereof, to the use of the conservators, as provided by the Medway Conservancy Act, 1881.

(c) Vessels in tow.

30. Vessels under 100 tons register towed by steam shall be placed two abreast, if more than four in number, and not more than six shall be towed together at one time.

31.-Vessels over 100 tons register towed by steam shall be placed two abreast, and the tow rope shall not exceed 50 feet drift from stern of tug to bow of vessel, and not more than four shall be towed together at one time below Upnor Castle, and not more than two above Upnor Castle. As to towing through Rochester bridges, see Bye-law No. 50.

As to lights for vessels in tow, see Bye-law No. 37.

Lights.

32. The lights mentioned in the following Bye-laws, numbered 33 to 40, and no others, shall be carried in all weathers from sunset to sunrise.